Careers and Education

THE EQUESTRIAN INDUSTRY IS RICH WITH EXCITING CAREERS THAT ARE ALL UNITED BY AN INNATE LOVE OF HORSES. WHETHER YOU’RE JUST WANTING TO LEARN MORE AND STRENGTHEN YOUR BOND WITH HORSES, OR EMBARK ON AN EQUESTRIAN CAREER, THE BHS HAS A PATHWAY FOR YOU.

CHOOSE YOUR CHALLENGE

One of the things that makes horses such fabulous companions is that there’s always something more to learn about them; they are a lifelong and immensely rewarding project.

If you'd like to deepen the understanding and bond you have with horses - whether that’s through developing your practical skills or gaining the extra bit of confidence you need to set and then reach your riding goals – then the Challenge Awards are perfect for you. You’ll receive expert guidance and support from BHS Accredited Professional Coaches, who will help you design your own development journey - and most importantly, you can have fun along the way! Choose from a range of topics available to everyone whether you find yourself in or out of the saddle; everything from our Horse Care pathway to an Introduction to Riding. We also encourage all riders to take our ‘Ride Safe’ Award which has recently been recognised in the new Highway Code and will help teach you best practice when riding out in a wide range of environments.

To find out more visit bhs.org.uk/challenge-awards

Challenge your children...

Even your little ones can join in the fun with our Junior Challenge Award – Pony Stars. With over 100 topics for children to explore, Pony Stars is set to ignite a passion for ponies in children aged 12 and under, as well as build knowledge and cement friendships that will last a lifetime.

The programme follows in the hoofprints of the BHS Challenge Awards for teenagers and adults, which has seen thousands of horse owners and riders learning more about their four-legged friends whilst building their own skills and making new friends. With youngsters able to start taking their BHS Stage qualifications from the age of 13 upwards, Pony Stars can also provide a fantastic foundation for those dreaming of a career with equines. Pony Stars is run through the BHS’s Approved Centres and BHS Accredited Professional Coaches; children can either join a group through their local approved centre, or for those lucky enough to own their own ponies, a BHS Accredited Coach can come to you to deliver the activities – you could even set up your own group at a local yard.

To find your local coaches and centres, head to bhs.org.uk/enjoy-riding.

Horsing around with Horse Explorers...

Perhaps your child has completed Pony Stars already, or you’re looking for a way to motivate your teenager to get out in the fresh air after a long week at school – if so, Horse Explorers is our next level challenge award that offers a natural progression from Pony Stars.

Aimed at teenagers and young adults, these awards help to develop your confidence, skills, and knowledge in a fun and supportive environment. You’ll be building your horsey knowhow whilst having opportunities to build skills for life such as planning, teamwork and problem solving. Not only does

Horse

Explorers help young people to build connections and gain real-world skills, it also looks great on a CV by demonstrating

To find out more, head over to bhs.org.uk/horse-explorers.

abilities and knowledge that equine industry employers look for.

Kickstart your career...

Working alongside horses every day must surely be one of the most rewarding career paths in the world, and across every career, regardless of role, we’re all working for the same goal: to improve the health and welfare of horses.

There are so many places that your BHS qualifications can take you – the opportunities are endless! Whatever your professional aspirations with horses, the BHS Career Pathways are designed to offer you the opportunity to learn practical, real-world skills that will enable you to progress your career and reach your goals, all with the love of horses at the heart. The structured learning platform will support you to gain the skills and knowledge you need, from entry level right up to BHS Fellowship. Your BHS

Career Pathways

qualifications will be the stamp of approval that employers are looking for, as well as inspiring a practice of life-long learning. We’re here to guide, advise and support you through every stage of your career journey.

BRITISH DRESSAGE LAUNCHES:

NATIONALLY RECOGNISED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

British Dressage is delighted to announce the appointment of Sport Structures as its partner to support the delivery of an employment pathway of nationally recognised qualifications for apprentices working in the sport.

The BD Apprenticeship programme will cover the learning of practical equestrian skills, as well as providing a range of qualification pathways delivered in an equestrian setting. Routes can be chosen in a range of equestrian and business areas, from leadership and digital marketing to senior equine groom.

A fundamental principle of the BD Apprenticeship scheme is that the programme is not just open to school leavers – it will also support those wanting to return to the industry, or employers looking for a way to develop their existing staff. Those who are interested in working with horses who have not had opportunity before will now have an accessible route into the industry. Most of the qualifications will be fully funded, with some employers receiving a grant to take on a new apprenticeship. This will broaden the reach of BD’s education programmes and allow apprentices to build their career within the sport.

“Drawing has completely saved me”

WE MEET LOCAL ARTIST RACHAEL ROBINSON

In February 2020 I gave birth to my first child Juliana At the time I was working as a zookeeper and loved my job working with a range of species such as reindeer, goats, giant tortoises, wallabies, rainbow lorikeets, fish and horses to name a few. I absolutely loved my job and spent six happy years doing my dream job.

Six weeks after her birth, the world changed, and the doors began to shut as the pandemic hit the UK. In those short six weeks, I realised that my mental health had drastically changed, and I began to have visions that would scare me and cause huge anxieties. My partner was incredible and did what he could to support me. Juliana had been suffering with colic and reflux and we were only able to get a GP appointment over the phone; she hadn’t slept properly in 48hours, and we were exhausted. There was a brief moment where she finally dropped off to sleep and I had a pencil and paper ready at hand to take notes of what the doctor may suggest; in that moment I drew one of the horses I worked with from a photo on my phone. After I had finished, I realised how calm and relaxed I felt, I hadn’t felt like that since before my daughter was born. I showed my friends and family what I had done, and they were all so encouraging and told me to keep going, so I did. During every short spell of sleep for Juliana rather than sleeping at the same time I would grab the pencil and practice. Originally, I stuck to drawing horses and foxes and would regularly share my fox drawings with a rescue centre that would auction them off and raise money to support the charity. I then began to research better materials and ask other established artists what the best items would be and then I invested a large chunk of our savings into buying pencils and paper that I would need to create and sell better work. I was approached after three months of practicing to draw my first commission of a dog and then shortly after for a horse owner in Australia. Once my confidence built, I began taking small commissions through the summer until my daughter was 9-months-old and I had to make the decision as to whether I was going to return to work full time or try and pursue my drawings. I took the plunge and handed in my notice whilst learning how to develop my social media across different platforms and then in January 2021 I officially opened my business. Eleven months after starting my journey I landed my first high profile client drawing for the worlds biggest and most famous show jumping family names – The Whitakers. I was commissioned to draw Catwalk IV for Robert Whitaker as a birthday gift but at the time I had no idea that it was his wife who had reached out to me. In hindsight I should have taken note that it was a horse drawing with that surname, but it only dawned on me a week into the drawing when Kate and I were talking about the horse I was drawing and what he meant to the team that I realised this wasn’t just your average horse. To date it is still one of my most detailed drawings and it’s safe to say that he was very well

Essex-based Rachael Robinson with Catwalk IV, drawn for Robert Whitaker

received. Through 2021 I worked hard building my social media pages landing 30,000 followers on TikTok and 7000 on Facebook by the end of the year with a large client base and a waiting list to draw for people all over the world. In December 2021 I launched my Patreon channel where people can learn to draw from me in their own time and setting without any pressure and no matter where they are. I have kept my classes incredibly cheap as I want more people to have the opportunity to have access to quality learning without paying a huge price in private classes. 2022 has been filled with a lot of excitement where I have been nominated and shortlisted for three awards. My social media following has increased to 9000 on Facebook to date and 41000 on TikTok with no help from any external sources. The awards I have been nominated for are the Equine Service of the Year 2022 from the Equestrian Business Awards, Digital Woman of the Year 2022 from Digital Women, and most recently one of my drawings has been shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022 from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. All these awards are completely unexpected, and I received an amazing 96 nominations for the Equine Service of the Year with so many of my clients reaching

out to me to tell me how much their drawings meant to them but also how I had been towards them through the whole process and why they nominated me. I have recently attended the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead to display my work. Whilst I have done small country shows this is one of the biggest events I have been to with my art. Throughout the event I was live drawing so people can see how my drawings come together. Working in the equestrian industry in the way that I do means so much to me and hearing the stories of the horses I am drawing because I don’t ...As I had a huge just draw and hand over a passion for horses since portrait, I take the

I was a little girl and time to get to had ridden my whole know not only the life, I knew that I animal but also the owner. I love wanted my business to hearing stories be focused on and I love the equestrian related close friendships I artwork... have made over the past two years with a number of people who hired me for drawings. One lady calls me her adopted daughter and we regularly meet up to see each other, all of this I did not expect when the pencil went down for the first time. I did eventually get some help for my mental health and whilst this is still an ongoing challenge for me, I am more the person I was before having a baby. Drawing has completely saved me in many different ways, and I am excited to see what the future continues to bring.

www.rrobinsonart.co.uk

Lynda Warth and HRH The Princess Royal

NEF AWARD: WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Imran Atcha, a founder member of St James City Farm Riding School, was announced as the winner of the Sir Colin Spedding Award at the National Equine Forum (NEF) recently. Lynda Warth, British Horse Society County Access and Bridleways Officer for Cambridgeshire, was highly commended as an Award finalist.

Lynda Warth was highly commended as a finalist in recognition of the sheer scope of the access work she undertakes on behalf of equestrians in Cambridgeshire and around the country. Initially helping to secure a local bridleway was the catalyst for Lynda to push for equestrian access rights to become engrained in policy; consideration of equestrian access is now a requirement for Cambridgeshire building and transport projects thanks to her endeavours. Lynda has worked to include different recreational activities within the access network, so that wherever possible families can exercise together safely, whether walking their dog, cycling, riding or carriage driving. Lynda works alongside BHS colleagues on major transport projects to ensure that Cambridgeshire equestrians are included on all NMU (non-motorised user) provision including reconnection of any severed rights of way, access over or under roads, railways and rivers and takes every opportunity to improve the existing network through the project. Lynda Warth said: “I consider myself hugely privileged to be selected as a Finalist for this prestigious award. However, I see it as recognition by the equestrian community of the often challenging, always ongoing, hard work of Access Volunteers to protect existing paths, to search for routes which should be available and to seize every opportunity to improve the national bridleway network for current and future generations of horse riders and carriage drivers.” Sir Colin Spedding was the founding chairman of the NEF and the award was introduced in 2013, in his memory. It is presented annually to an exceptional unsung hero of the equestrian world.